Booklet on anti-gay propaganda an online success - If you haven't seen my press release from last night. Yeah I know you may be tired of me promoting my booklet but remember that I'm not Ellen nor Neil Patrick Harris. I gotta work my own runway and spotlight sometimes.

Idiot. Please tell me how there have been no sexual abuse cases in Boy Scouts under the old rule that only straight people could be leaders? Oh wait, you can't, because there are pedophiles among the straight leaders too. Gay does not equal pedophile!

I have a problem with people like Fisher who assume that others are unable to control their sexuality, that somehow the need to have sex makes people animals ruled by their lust. Heterosexual or homosexual or otherwise, I fear this man's preoccupation with other's sexual appetites is a projection of his own lust led morality. We already know that he will lie about anything to advance his agenda; apparently he will rape anyone too, because obviously no men can control their sexual urges! (Sarcasm!)

I opposed DADT on the simple premise that sex – straight, gay or otherwise – was not a component of military service. Gay or straight, it just did not belong. To the best of my knowledge American armed forces have never been sent to screw anybody into submission. Nor have the Scouts.

Admittedly it has been a long time since I was involved with Scouting, but in my recollection, sex was not a part of it. In my experience there were never any sexual escapades of any type, no midnight raids on the girl’s camps, no sexual anything. Scouts were busy being kids, and generally by bed time they were worn out & all they wanted to do was sleep!

I took a few minutes to review and according to the Boy Scout web page The Scout Oath includes the words “and morally straight”. The handbook then defines morally straight as follows: “To be a person of strong character, your relationships with others should be honest and open. You should respect and defend the rights of all people. Be clean in your speech and actions, and remain faithful in your religious beliefs. The values you practice as a Scout will help you shape a life of virtue and self-reliance.” As naïve as it may sound, morality included virtuous behavior, and sex just wasn’t part of it.

There is a new Family Life Merit Badge which among other things requires the scout to (Iten 6., A.) “plan and carry out a family meeting to include the following subjects: (2.) Understanding the growing-up process and how the body changes, and making responsible decisions dealing with sex.” What a great opportunity for a young man to assess and address his own sexuality! Imagine if every kid could have an honest open discussion with his /her family about sex!

My point here is, I see nothing that precludes LGBT people from full participation EXCEPT that some people think it icky, dirty & immoral. It seems to me that those are the people who don’t qualify as a Boy Scout material. These people are not honest and open, respecting and defending the rights all people. Anyone who is as preoccupied as these people, anyone so totally consumed by sex, especially what sex other people might have or be interested in, is an immoral person.

But then again, they are probably not trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean or reverent either. You see, unlike them, most Scouts can keep their heads out of other people’s business, and out of their pants. I don’t know about their religious beliefs but mine are based in minding my own business, being kind and helping where I can, not judging, persecuting or proselytizing.

What can be more Scout like than being honest and open about who you are?

As for the assumption that "duty to God" indicates adoration of the fundamentalist Christian God, that is just plain wrong. There are many, many religious denomination awards provided by the organization, in every recognized faith (http://www.scouting.org/scoutsource/Awards/ReligiousAwards/chart.aspx) including Quaker and Zoroastrian among others. And to the best of my knowledge nowhere is it required that one disclose their particular religious beliefs, or achieve any religious status in order to earn any level of recognition badge.

As in so many other things, Fisher is either ignorant or chooses to deny the facts in order to advance his own agenda.

About Me

Alvin McEwen is 43-year-old African-American gay man who resides in Columbia, SC.
McEwen's blog, Holy Bullies and Headless Monsters, and writings have been mentioned by Americablog.com, Goodasyou.org, People for the American Way, PageOneQ.com, MSNBC, The Washington Post, Media Matters for America, Crooksandliars.com, Thinkprogress.org, Andrew Sullivan's Daily Dish, Newsweek, and Foxnews.com.
In addition, he is also a past contributor to Pam's House Blend,and a present contributor to Justice For All, Daily Kos, the Huffington Post, LGBTQ Nation, and Alternet.org.
He is the 2007 recipient of the Harriet Daniels Hancock Volunteer of the Year Award and the 2010 recipient of the Order of the Pink Palmetto from the SC Pride Movement as well as the 2009 recipient of the Audre Lorde/James Baldwin Civil Rights Activist Award from SC Black Pride. In addition, he is a two-time nominee of the Ed Madden Media Advocacy Award from SC Pride.